Rooney is promised new deal by Ferguson (but Man United striker will have to take cut on £230,000-a-week salary)

Manchester United manager Sir Alex
Ferguson says striker Wayne Rooney will be offered a new contract by
Manchester United before his £230,000-a-week deal ends in 2015.

Keen to end talk of a rift between
himself and England's star player following Rooney's omission from the
Champions League defeat against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, Ferguson
claimed the club are ready to work on the striker's long-term future at
Old Trafford.

United stance: Rooney will be offered new deal despite not being automatic first choice

'There is no issue with the contract. When it has to be renegotiated, it will be,' said Ferguson, who may recall the 27-year-old for today's FA Cup quarterfinal against Chelsea at Old Trafford.

'We don't want good players to leave.'

Despite Ferguson's public stance, United's money men would expect Rooney to take a pay cut if he is not going to be an automatic choice for the biggest matches, and interest from clubs abroad such as Paris St-Germain would be considered carefully.

No issues: Sir Alex Ferguson's (left) decision not to play Wayne Rooney against Real Madrid was purely tactical

Going nowhere: Fergie says Rooney (right) will be at Old Trafford next season

Ferguson added: 'He's the (Paul)
Gascoigne, the Bobby Charlton. He's the best English player. I spoke to
him on Thursday and said, "You're going to have to go through a bit of
**** at the moment". But, you know, that's the name of the game.

'He's coming to his mature years. He's
had a lot of issues this year in terms of illness, injuries and not had a
long run of games, but he's still got me 14 goals. He'll end up with 20
goals, no doubt about that.'

Ferguson has previously insisted that Rooney will not be sold in the summer. But by indicating a new contract will be forthcoming, he has put the ball firmly in Rooney's court over his future.

Rooney signed a £60million, five-year contract with United in 2010, having controversially handed in a transfer request after claiming that the club did not match his ambition.

But he has fallen down the pecking order this season, following the arrival of Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa and the emergence of Danny Welbeck.

Contract negotiations for star players are normally dealt with two years before they are due to end, so Rooney's future is expected to be one of the first things on the in-tray of incoming United chief executive Ed Woodward.

Ferguson stated 'on his word' that Rooney will remain at United next season. Cynics, however, will remember him once dismissing the idea of Cristiano Ronaldo leaving.